Equinox Introduces "Performance-Based Membership Pricing." The More You Lift, the More You Pay.
The luxury gym chain says the new model "more accurately reflects the value each member extracts from the facility." Members who use the free weights section during peak hours have been asked to sit down.
Equinox, the luxury fitness club whose base membership starts at $300 a month and whose towels are better than most people’s towels at home, has announced a new dynamic pricing model that adjusts each member’s monthly fee based on their physical output inside the club.
The programme, called Equinox Performance Pricing, uses a combination of check-in data, equipment sensors, and what the company describes as “ambient performance monitoring” to calculate a monthly multiplier applied to each member’s base rate. Members who lift heavier, train more frequently, and use more equipment will pay more. Members who come in twice a month to sit in the sauna and leave will pay less.
“We believe pricing should reflect value. Our highest-performing members extract the most value from our facilities. It is only fair that the relationship is reciprocal.”
— An Equinox Spokesperson, at a rooftop location members had not previously known existed
The multiplier, which Equinox calls the Performance Index, is calculated monthly and applied as a percentage increase to the base membership fee. Members in the bottom quartile of physical output, defined as those who visit fewer than four times per month and avoid the free weights entirely, will see no change. Members in the top quartile, defined as those who arrive before 7am, know what creatine is, and have opinions about belt squat machines, will see increases of between 40% and 180%.
A leaked internal document, described by Equinox as “a draft that does not reflect final policy,” revealed that one member in a Manhattan location had received a projected monthly bill of $1,240 following a period in which he set three personal records in a single week. He has since started going to the gym less. Equinox considers this an acceptable outcome.
The company was at pains to clarify that the new model rewards “sustainable wellness engagement” over “performative athleticism.” Members who attend yoga, use the meditation rooms, and consume items from the in-club juice bar are assigned a separate multiplier called the Wellness Coefficient, which is more favourable. A green juice costs $18. It is not included in the Performance Index calculation.
Consumer response has been divided along predictable lines. Casual members who use the gym primarily as an expensive way to feel like they could go to the gym contacted Not News to express relief. Serious gym members contacted Not News to express other feelings, which we have chosen not to reproduce in full.
The CEO of a competing gym chain, who asked to remain anonymous because he is still laughing, declined to comment formally. His gym charges $25 a month. He said this without any particular emphasis.
Equinox has confirmed the new pricing will roll out across all US locations next quarter. A FAQ on the company’s website notes that the Performance Index cannot be appealed, that personal trainers are not included in the calculation, and that the sauna remains available to all members “regardless of output tier.” The towels are also unchanged.